Introduction
The all-new C-Class Estate followed the redesign of the hugely popular C-Class Saloon. Not only are they used by many a family across the country, but they're also favoured by company car drivers as a comfortable motorway mile muncher.
The refreshed Estate's wheelbase grew by 8cm, whilst outside, it's 9.6cm longer and 4cm wider. This all results in an increase in space inside, particularly for rear occupants. The boot size remained almost unchanged, which is no bad thing. There's 490 litres on offer in most C-Class Estates (the C 300h and C 350e get 450 and 350 litres respectively. The majority of buyers will enjoy 1,510 litres of space upon folding down the 40:20:40 split folding rear seats which come as standard right across the range (an upgrade over the previous generation's 60:40 setup).
Powertrains
Mercedes has a range of 4-cylinder engines on offer for the new C-Class Estate, as well as some nippy AMGs and sensible hybrids.
If you remain unconvinced and prefer petrol power, you haven't got much thinking to do. Your only option is the C 200. It's a 2.0-litre unit that produces a more-than-adequate 181 bhp and 300 Nm. This makes it good for 0-62 mph in 7.5 seconds putting it up against the Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI and BMW 320i Touring, all of which costing between £28,400 and £28,900. Running costs of 51.4 mpg and £110 road tax don't make it a particularly enticing option when you take a look at the diesels.
The entry-level 1.6-litre C 200d produces a measly 134 bhp and 300 Nm. It's the most economical diesel too, at just over 65 mpg. That doesn't quite match rivals such as BMW's EfficientDynamics and Audi's ultra. It'll cost a tenner to tax.
There are also two 2.1-litre diesel units. The C 220d and C 250d. They produce 168 and 201 bhp respectively, as well as 400 and 500 Nm of torque. The quickest of all conventionally-powered C-Class Estates is the C 250d, reaching 62 mph in 6.9s. They're both said to do over 60 mpg, costing £10 and £20 to tax.
Although Mercedes doesn't have a four-wheel-drive 4MATIC on offer, therefore falls a pace behind the vast array of rivals (BMW 320i xDrive, 320d xDrive, 330 xDrive, 335d xDrive, Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro, 2.0 TDI quattro and 3.0 V6 TDI quattro), it does offer one unique prospect that the others don't. Or should I say two prospects.
The C 300h uses the 2.1-litre diesel engine as well as an additional boost provided by electricity. This means almost 230 bhp and 500 Nm, and a 0-62 mph time of 6.4s. It'll even get more than 70 mpg, and it's completely free to tax!
If it's a plug-in hybrid you're after, then look no further than the C 350e. It uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine, electricity and batteries to make 275 bhp and 600 Nm. It's half a second quicker to 62 mph than the C 300h, and produces half the CO2 (49 g/km). They say it'll do up to 134.5 mpg, too. Both hybrids cost north of £38,000.
There are even two hyper-C-Classes. The Mercedes-AMG C63 and C63 S utilise 4.0-litre V8 petrol engines to produce 469 and 503 bhp. With a hefty 650 and 700 Nm of torque, they're able to get to 62 mph in 4.2 and 4.1s. They both average just over 30 mpg and cost £265 to tax, emitting 196 g/km.
Standard Kit
All C-Class Estates get alloy wheels, a reversing camera, automatic wipers, a 7-inch infotainment display and an automatic powered tailgate, dubbed EASY-PACK.
Entry-level SE gets comfort suspension with 5 driving modes, a tyre pressure monitoring system, black ARTICO leather upholstery, LED daytime running lights and halogen headlights (although Audi's entry-level A4 Avant gets xenon headlights).
Active Parking Assist, upgraded alloys, LED headlights, Garmin® navigation, heated front sports seats and 15mm lower suspension are all part of the Sport trim, although it's worth noting that the C 350e Sport gets air suspension instead.
AMG Line brings along with it uprated brakes, steering and suspension as well as AMG bodystyling, sports seats and steering wheel. The 18-inch alloys are particularly charming.
Options
The cheapest package is the Executive package. It's a tad under £1,300 and is only available on entry-level SE models. It brings many of the Sport trim's features at a reduced cost.
Then you have the Premium package for almost £1,700. It has ambient lighting, keyless entry and a memory function for the front seats, steering wheel and exterior mirrors. The Premium Plus package costs nearly £3,000 and adds a 13-speaker Burmester® surround sound system and an upgraded 8.4-inch display with added functionality. This is available for Sport and AMG Line.
For £895 you can get Mercedes' highly regarded AIRMATIC self-levelling variable air suspension on Sport and AMG Line C-Class Estates.
The 360-degree camera system is a steal at £335, it's available on all by SE trims. Same goes for the panoramic glass sunroof (£900). For £825 on these trims, you can get a head-up display, but privacy glass is available across the whole range for £265.
My C-Class Estate
This is how I would order my C-Class Estate on a moderate budget:
No comments:
Post a Comment